Steam-controlling apparatus.



' J. F. DEEMS & W. V. TURNER.

STEAM CONTROLLING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED IA Y16, 1912.

Patented June 3, 1913.

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WITNESSES mvzm'ons (5 I g MkL M-N.

OLUMBIA PLANomiAPn CO..'WA$NINGTON. D c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN F. DEEMS, OF BURLINGTON, IOWA, AND WALTER V. TURNER, 0F EDGEVVOOD,PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNORS TO ECONOMY OAR HEATING COMPANY, OF. PORTLAND,

MAINE, A CORPORATION OF MAINE.

STEAM-CONTROLLING APPARATUS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JOHN F. Dumas, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of Burlington, in the county of Des Moines' and the State ofIowa, and WALTER V. TUR- NER, a citizen of the United States, and a.resident of Edgewood, in the county of Allegheny, in the State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inSteam-Controlling Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in apparatus for controllingsteam so that the same may be utilized for heating and various otherpurposes.

One feature of this invention relates to improvements in apparatusadapted to be used in connection with a steam pump on a locomotivewhereby the exhaust steam from the pump may be stored and subsequentlyutilized for heating the vehicles composing a train. In. such apparatusit is desirable to store the steam from the pump during the firstportion of the exhaust and to allow the steam to flow directly to theatmosphere during the last portion of the exhaust.

This invention is for an improvement over a construction whichcomprises, broadly stated, means for supplying steam, a bypass deviceconnected thereto, a storage receptacle or reservoir, said by-passdevice having two outlets, one outlet leading to the atmosphere and theother connected to said reservoir, and a conduit leading from thereservoir back to the by-pass device. In such prior constructions theby-pass device has been provided with a differential piston moved in onedirection by the incoming steam engaging one face thereof, and moved inthe other direction by steam from the reservoir engaging the other facethereof, and so arranged that the flow of incoming steam will bedirected either to the reservoir or to the atmosphere, depending uponthe conditions existing within the by-pass device. l-leretofore, theflow of steam from the reservoir to the by-pass device has been eitherunrestricted, or controlled by an independent auxiliary valve located inthe re turn conduit, arranged to be opened by the piston whenapproaching one limit of its movement, whereby reservoir steam will beadmitted to one side of the piston to eifect Specification of LettersPatent.

Application filed May 16, 1912.

preferably Patented June 3, 1913. Serial No. 697,709.

its movement. While such prior constructions have operatedsatisfactorily, yet there is a liability of a sufficient leakage ofsteam past the auxiliary valve to cause more or less pounding to takeplace within the bypass device. Moreover, this auxiliary valve comprisesseveral small operating parts, any one of which is liable to break or tobecome injured. v One of the objects of this invention is to have theconduit returning from the reser- -vo1r communicating through the sidewall with the piston-containing chamber whereby the piston itself, whenit moves, may operate toopen and close the conduit, thereby serving as avalve, thus eliminating the independent auxiliary valve heretofore used.In Zorder to accomplish this purpose the piston ;is preferably providedwith a port which ;will be in communication with the return (301]ld11li3when the piston is in one position 011 .y. A further object of theinvention is toprovide the piston casing with a small passageway,leading from the piston chamber directly to the atmosphere, adapted tobe closed at the time when the return conduit .is open, and opened soonafter the piston is caused by the reservoir steam to move against thepressure of the incoming steam. The opening of the passageway at thistime allows the reservoir steam which is inclosed in the casing toescape directly to the atmosphere, thus decreasing-the expansive effectof said steam and consequently eliminating the pounding which wouldresult if said steam were not allowed. to thus escape.

\Vith the prior constructions it has alsobeen found that occasionallythe initial high pressure of the incoming steam admitted to one side ofthe piston will force the piston to an extreme position against thepressure of the steam from the reservoir admitted to the opposite sideof the piston, at which time the piston may fail to move back so as toclose the reservoir supply ports and open the atmospheric exhaust duringthe pump stroke. Another object of the invention therefore consists inproviding means for preventing the piston from sticking in the mannerabove described. This is preferably accomplished by providing in thepiston casing a small conduit which leads from one side of the piston tothe other side thereof when the piston is in the extreme position abovereferred to, whereby the incoming steam which normally engages the sideof the piston having the smaller effective area, can flow to the chamberat the side having the greater effective area, thereby causing thepiston to be operated.

Another object of the invention also re lates to the construction of thebypass device which is particularly adapted for the diverting andstoring of steam.

Another object of the invention consists in providing means at the inletside of the bypass device, whereby said device can be cut out of actionand the incoming steam will pass directly to the atmosphere.

A further object of the invention is to simplify the construction andreduce the cost of manufacture of apparatus for controlling steam.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view showingthe improved exhaust steam by-pass valve device applied to a locomotivesteam pump apparatus; Fig. 2 a central vertical section of the bypassvalve device, showing the parts in position for diverting the exhauststeam from the pump to the steam heating reservoir; Fig. 3 is a similarview, showing the parts in the position in which the exhaust steam isvented to the stack; and Fig. 4 is a similar view, in a slightlydifferent plane, showing the parts in their extreme lower position.

In Fig. 1 01"? the drawings, the improved steam by-pass valve device 1is shown connected by pipe 2 with the usual exhaust steam port of thelocomotive steam pump 3 and with a heating or exhauststeam reservoir .tby pipes 5 and 6.

In one embodiment of the invention, the

apparatus as a whole comprises a source of steam supply 3, a bypassdevice connected thereto by the pipe 2, said device having an outletprovided with the pipe 1.5 leading to the atmosphere and an outletconnected to the storage receptacle or reservoir 4 by the pipe 5, and areturn conduit or pipe 6 leading from the reservoir 4; back to theby-pass device 1. The by-pass device is provided with a piston tocontrol the flow of steam through the outlet leading to the storagereceptacle or reservoir or through the outlet leading to the atmosphereand through the return conduit. .The bypass valve device 1 comprises acasing 7 having a piston chamber containing a main differential piston8, the chamber 9 above the piston being connected to the pump exhauststeam pipe 2 and having a series of ports 10co1nmunicating with thereservoir pipe 5 and controlled by the piston 8. A small piston 11 isconnected by stem 12 to the main piston 8 thereby materially decreasingthe effective area of one side of the piston 8.

The small piston operates in piston chamber 13 and controls the ports14: that lead from the piston chamber 13 to the stack exhaust pipe 15.Mounted in a cap 16 secured to the upper face of easing 7 is a the lowercap 21 of the bypass device to assist in cushioning the dowmvard strokeof the plston.

In operation, the parts will normally be in the )osition shown in Fi 2of the drawings, in which the piston 11 closes the stack exhaust portslet while the reservoir ports 10 are open to piston chamber 9. Theexhaust steam from the pump is therefore free to flow to the reservoirpipe 5. In this position, ports 22 in the piston 8 register W1tl1 ports23 leading to an annular chamber 24: which communicates through pipe (3with the reservoir, so that steam at reservoir pressure is admitted tochamber 25 below the piston 8. As is well known, the pressure of exhauststeam from the pump is highest at the beginning of a stroke andgradually diminishes during the stroke and consequently at a certainpoint in the stroke, the total pressure of the steam within thereservoir which acts on the under side of piston 8 will exceed the totalexhaust steam pressure in chamber S), and the piston is then actuated bythis difference between the total pressures to close the reservoir ports10 and open the stack exhaust ports 14: by the movement of the smallpiston 11.

In order to prevent violent movements f the piston, there are providedports 26 leading from chamber 25 to an annular chamber 27 which is opento an atmospheric ex haustport 28. In the upward movement, when theports 10 are closed, as shown in Fig. 3, and the stack exhaust ports 1 tare partly open, the piston 8 is adapted to uncover the ports 26 so thatfluid under pressure in chamber 25 below the piston 8 is vented to theatmosphere. The reduction in pressure thus produced quickly checks theupward movement of the piston, so that pounding is prevented. Upon thenext stroke of the pump the high initial pressure of the exhaust steamacting in chamber 9 on piston 8 forces the same downwardly and againopens the reservoir supply ports 10. at the same time closing the stackexhaust ports 14.

It sometimes happens that when exhaust steam is admitted to the chamber9 above piston 8 the pressure is suflieient to drive the piston to itsextreme lower position against the pressure of the reservoir steam onthe opposite side of the piston, and in this position the ports 22 areout 011 from the ports 33. The steam being thus cut ofli' from thechamber 25 below the piston 8, the piston might occasionally stick inthis position during a pump stroke and thus tail to operate as intended.In order to provide against this possibility, another feature of ourinvention consists in providing an additional port 29, adapted when thepiston 8 moves to its extreme lower position, as shown in Fig. 4 of thedrawings, to connect the chamber 9 with chamber 25. It will thus beevident that upon movement to the extreme lower position, steam issupplied through the port 29 to chamber 25 thus equalizing the steampressures on opposite sides of the piston 8, so that the spring 20 canreadily return the piston to its normal position.

In order to cut the by-pass valve device out of action when desired, avalve 30 may be provided for controlling communication from the exhaustoutlet of the pump either to the chamber 9 of the bypass valve device ordirectly to the stack. The valve 30 is connected by a stem 31 to apiston 32 subject on one side to the pressure of a sprin 33 tending tomaintain the valve in the open position for establishing communicationfrom the exhaust steam pipe 2 to the chamber 9. The chamber 34 on theopposite side of piston 32 is connected to a pipe 35 containing a cock36. The pipe 35 is connected to a suitable source of fluid pressuresupply such as the main air reservoir on the locomotive and when thecock is turned to open position, fluid under pressure is supplied to thepiston 32 to actuate the same against the resistance of the spring 33and thereby operate the valve 30 to close commu nication from theexhaust steam pipe 2 to the chamber 9. This movement of the valve 30also opens communication from pipe 2 to a cored passage 37 leading fromchamber 38 to pipe 15, so that exhaust steam is now vented directly tothe stack and the by-pass valve device is cut out. If the cock 36 isturned to its normal closed position the fluid under pressure in chamber34 equalizes through port 39 in piston 32 to the chamber below thepiston and thence escapes to the atmosphere through an exhaust port 40.Upon substantial equalization of fluid pressure on opposite sides of thepiston 32, the spring 33 operates to return the piston 32 and the valve30 to the normal open position, as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings.

The improvements hereinset forth are not limited to the preciseconstruction and arrangement shown and described as they may be embodiedin various forms and modifications without departing from the spirit andscope of the invention.

Vi e claim as our invention:

1. in a steam controlling apparatus, the combination with a source ofexhaust steam and a reservoir, of a piston subjected on one side to theflow of exhaust steam from said source for controlling the admission ofexhaust steam to the reservoir and having ports for controlling theadmission of steam from the reservoir to the opposite side of saidpiston.

2. In a steam controlling apparatus, the combination with a source ofexhaust steam and a reservoir, of a piston subjected on one side to theflow of exhaust steam from said source for controlling ports throughwhich exhaust steam is supplied to the reservoir, said piston havingports for admitting steam from the reservoir to the opposite side of thepiston when the reservoir supply ports are open.

3. In a steam controlling apparatus, the combination with a source ofexhaust steam and a reservoir, of a piston subjected on one side to theflow of exhaust steam from said source and having means adapted in oneposit-ion of the piston to open communication for supplying exhauststeam to the reservoir and in another position to close saidcommunication and open a communication to the usual exhaust, said pistonhaving ports adapted in the first position to supply steam from thereservoir to the opposite side of said piston and in the second positionto cut off said supply of steam.

4. In a steam controlling apparatus, the combination with a source ofexhaust steam and a reservoir, of a piston subjected on one side to theflow of exhaust steam from said source for controlling the flow ofexhaust steam to the reservoir, means for supplying steam from thereservoir to the chamber at the opposite side of said piston to operatesaid piston for cutting ofl' the supply of ex haust steam to thereservoir upon a reduction in exhaust steam pressure, and ports foropening said chamber to the atmosphere upon movement of the piston tocut off the admission of steam to the reservoir.

5. In a steam controlling apparatus, the combination with a source ofexhaust steam and a reservoir, of a piston subjected on one side to theflow of exhaust steam from said source for controlling the flow ofexhaust steam to the reservoir and to the usual exhaust, ports foradmitting steam from the reservoir to the chamber at the opposite sideof the piston whereby it will move to cause a closing of the reservoirsupply ports and to cause an opening of the usual exhaust upon apredetermined reduction in exhaust steam pressure, and whereby it canoperate to cause an opening of other ports for venting said chamber tothe atmosphere upon a further movement.

6. In a steam controlling apparatus, the combination with a source ofexhaust steam and a reservoir, of a piston subjected on one source forcontrolling ports adapted in one position of the piston to supplyexhaust steam to the reservoir and in another posi tion to vent exhauststeam to the atmosphere, ports for admitting steam from the reservoir tothe chamber at the opposite side of the piston, when the reservoirsupply ports are open, to cause said piston to close said supply portsand to open the atmospheric ports upon a predetermined reduction inexhaust steam pressure, and other ports for venting said chamber to theatmosphere, upon a further movement of said piston in which the portsfor supplying steam to said chamber are closed.

7. In a steam controlling apparatus, the combination with a source ofexhaust steam and a reservoir, of a piston subjected on the upper sideto the flow of exhaust steam from said source for controlling theadmission of exhaust steam to the reservoir, ports for admitting steamfrom the reservoir to the chamber at the opposite or lower side of saidpiston in one position of the piston, said ports being closed uponupward movement of the piston, and means for admitting steam from theupper or exhaust steam side of the piston to said chamber upon movementof the piston downward past the place where reservoir steam can flowinto said chamber.

8. In a steam controlling apparatus, the combination with a source ofexhaust steam and a reservoir, of a piston subjected on one side to theHow of exhaust steam from said source for controlling the admission ofexhaust steam to the reservoir, ports controlled by said piston foradmitting steam from the reservoir to the chamber at the opposite sideof said piston upon movement of the piston to the position for supplyingexhaust steam to the reservoir, and means for opening communication fromone side of the piston to the other upon a further movement of thepiston in which said ports are closed.

9. In a steam controlling apparatus, the combination of a source ofsupply, a bypass device to which the supply is connected, a reservoirconnected to the bypass device, and a conduit leading from the reservoirto the device, said device comprising a casing containing therein apiston subjected on one side to the steam flowing into the device fromthe source of supply, said conduit leading from the reservoir to thedevice, termi nating in a port in the side wall of the piston containingcasing, the opening and closing of which port is controlled by thepiston when it moves, the construction being such that when said port isopen steam will exert a pressure against the other side of the piston.

10. The combination with a storage receptacle or reservoir, of a by-passdevice having a piston to control the flow of steam from the device tothe reservoir or to the atmos phere, a return conduit connecting thereservoir with the piston-containing chamber in the by-pass device andso arranged that the conduit will be opened and closed directly by thepiston.

11. A by-pass device comprising a casing and piston movable therein,said casing provided with an inlet opening, two outlet openings and areturn opening, the piston being arranged so as to control the How ofsteam from one or the other of the outlet openings, the return openingcommunicating with the piston-containing chamber and so arranged that itis open when the piston is positioned to permit the steam to flowthrough one of the outlet openings and the piston constructed so that itwill operate as a valve to close said return opening when the pistonmoves to close the last mentioned outlet opening and to open the otheroutlet opening.

12. A by-pass device comprising a casing and piston therein, said casingprovided with an inlet opening, two outlet openings and a returnopening, the piston being arranged so as to control the flow of steamfrom one or the other of the outlet openings, the return openingterminating in the walls of the piston containing chamber and ar-'ranged so that it is open when the piston is positioned to permit thesteam to flow through one of the outlet openings and so that the pistonoperates as a valve to close said return opening when the piston movesto close the last mentioned outlet opening and to open the other outletopening, the two outlet openings leading from the chamber at one side ofthe piston and the return opening leading to the chamber at the otherside of the piston.

13. A steam controlling apparatus comprising in combination a source ofsteam supply, a by-pass device connected. thereto, a

reservoir connected to said device and a re- 'municating with thechamber at the other side of the piston for supplying steam to saidchamber from the reservoir when the piston is in the first position, anda passageway to permit the flow of steam from said chamber to theatmosphere when the piston moves from the first position.

14:. A by-pass device comprising a casing and a piston therein forcontrolling the flow of steam from said device, said casing having anlnlet and two outlets leading from the chamber at one side of the casingand a return opening leading to and a passageway leading from thechamber at the other side of the piston, the return opening being closedwhen the passageway is open and vice versa.

15. In a device of the class described the combination of a casingcontaining a difierential piston, an inlet leading to and outletsleading from a chamber at one side of the piston, a return openingleading to the chamber at the other side of the piston, a passagewayleading from said last-mentioned chamber to the atmosphere, and a smallpassageway leading from one of the chambers to the other, saidpassageway being open at the time when the return opening and thepassageway leading to the atmosphere are closed.

16. In a device of the class described the combination of a casinghaving an inlet, two outlets, a return opening and piston operated meanscontrolling the outlets and the return opening, the device beingprovided with a small passageway which establishes direct communicationbetween opposite sides of the piston.

17. In a device of the class described the combination of a casinghaving an inlet, two outlets, a return opening and means comprising adifferential piston controlling the outlets and the return opening, saidcasing having a small passageway to establish direct communicationbetween opposite sides of the piston when the piston occupies one of itsextreme positions.

18. A by-pass device provided with a piston, a casing containing thesame, said casing having an inlet opening, two outlet openingscontrolled by said piston and means between the inlet and the pistonwhereby the steam can be caused to pass to one of the outlet openingswithout contacting with the piston or whereby the steam can be caused toflow in contact with and past the piston out through either one of theoutlet openings dependent upon the position of the piston.

19. The combination with means for supplying steam, of a by-pass device,a reser voir connected to the by-pass device, a return conduit leadingfrom the reservoir to the by-pass device, the by-pass device beingprovided with an opening leading to the atmosphere and a piston-operatedvalve for controlling the flow of steam through the outlet leading tothe atmosphere and through the outlet leading to the reservoir, saidby-pass device being also provided with means whereby the steam can passdirectly to the atmosphere from the steam supply without engaging thepiston of the device, said means also constructed so as to permit thesteam engaging the piston to flow either to the outlet leading to theatmosphere or to the outlet leading to the reservoir, dependent upon theposition of the piston.

This specification signed and witnessed the 3d day of May A. D. 1912, inthe city of New York, in the State of New York.

JOHN F. DEEMS.

Witnesses:

sylvania.

WALTER V. TURNER. Witnesses:

A. M. (ELEMENTS, S. W. KEEFER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

